– Blow dry prohibited!
Pupils have to submit to rigorous rules in the Asian country – from the uniform hairstyle to the shape of the eyebrows.
Thomas Hahn
Hairstyle regulations of Himeji State High School, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan prohibit dyeing, bleaching, blow-drying. They also state that a haircut should be “not trendy, but clean and appropriate for high school students.” According to research by the “Mainichi” newspaper, there is nothing regarding braids. Nevertheless, there was the scandal that is now making the school headlines as an example of Japanese intolerance. An 18-year-old son of a Japanese woman and a black American man was not allowed to attend his graduation ceremony because he showed up with cornrows, a traditional, clean braided hairstyle from African culture that is quite appropriate for young people. A representative from the school explained that cornrows are “different than what we have been taught”.